Pick Your Own Thornless Blackberries for 10 to 12 More Days

   Many 'Apache' thornless blackberries are ripening now and for the next 10 to 12 days.  From now until Aug. 4, we open at 7:30 a.m., Monday to Saturday, for blackberry picking, and it's not too hot until about 10 a.m.  Our fields do have a heavy dew each morning, so I wear waterproof boots until mid-morning.  We're also open for blackberry picking every evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., but when it soars to 100 F in afternoons, evenings are still quite hot.

This is our 26th & final year of offering pick-your-own thornless blackberries, so if you want to pick some here, come in the next 10 to 12 days, during our Summer Open Hours.

   Many customers came to pick thornless blackberries both morning and evening on Wed. July 22, so we got picked out that evening, but more berries are now ripening.  On Thurs. morning July 23 and this morning July 24, no blackberry customers came, probably because road work on Highway 166 blocked access to our road, 95th St.  Blackberry customers did get through to us last evening July 23, and should be able to get to us this evening July 24 and Sat. morning and evening July 25. 

   If 95th St. is blocked, those coming from the north (from east-west Highway 160) can drive south 10.0 miles on 90th St., a paved road, then cross Highway 166 and continue south on 90th St. (now gravel) for 1.0 mile.  Then turn right (west) on Star Rd. and go 1.0 mile, then turn right (north) on 95th St. and go 2/3 mile to our driveway.

   This is our 26th and final year of offering pick-your-own thornless blackberries, so if you want to pick some (or pick some more) here, come in the next 10 to 12 days, during our Summer Open Hours (see left sidebar). 

   Thornless blackberries are sold pick-your-own only, for $4.93 per quart + sales tax.  We provide quart containers, and have customers fill them level-full.  You'll bring the berries home in the quarts, set on cardboard trays, and we appreciate it if you bring us back the empty quarts and cardboard trays on your next visit to Reid Orchards.

   Some customers bring their own trays (metal, cardboard or plastic) to set the berry quarts on, and we appreciate that very much!  Do NOT bring bowls to dump the berries into, as that could bruise them, and we want the berries to stay in the quarts they're picked into until you get them home and use them.

   We still have many harvested #1 and #2 'Gold Rush' apples for sale, and many #2 'Enterprise' apples.  We'll have harvested apples for sale until early Aug.  However, many people have bought apples lately, and it takes time for me to sort and pack more in early afternoons, so call 620-597-2450 a day ahead to order them if you'll want more than a few pounds.  Once we sell out of 'Gold Rush' apples, we won't have any more until the new 'Gold Rush' apple crop starts in early Nov., and the new crop isn't good to eat until Jan., after a couple months' cold storage causes starches to convert into sugars.

'Gold Rush' apples are at peak eating condition now until Sept. Just call ahead to order them if you want a 20-pound box like this one.

   Harvested apples sell for $1.48 per pound + sales tax for #1 fruit with no damage.  I sort and pack apples into bags in boxes that I weigh to 20 pounds, so if you get a 20-pound box of #1 apples you save $1.00.  We also have some nice #2 fruit, with some surface scarring but no internal damage, that sells for just $1.18 per pound + sales tax.

   Peach harvest is almost done now.  I'm now harvesting our latest-ripening peach variety, 'Carolina Gold', which had a very small crop this year on just 3 remaining trees.  If I'm not in the sales building when you arrive, ring the bell VERY loudly so I can hear it.  (If I am in the sales building, please do NOT ring the bell.  Thanks.)

   As of today, we still have 30 bags of harvested, cracked pecans for sale.  My husband Bill cracked and bagged all remaining pecans 2 months ago, and we store them in refrigerators.  Once we sell out, we won't have more pecans until the new crop starts in mid-Nov., so get some soon if you'll want them before Nov. 15.  These pecan selections, from Bill's pecan breeding program, have large nuts, thin shells and great taste, and I give taste samples.

   We sell cracked pecans in 4-pound bags, which are over 75% pecan kernels and under 25% shell fragments.  Each bag has the equivalent of 6 pounds of in-shell pecans, and when you pick out the kernels, you get 3 pounds or more of nutmeats.  Each bag costs $19.70 + sales tax.

   From Aug. 5 to Dec. 15, we'll be open our Fall Open Hours (see left sidebar).  That gives me time to harvest tree fruits before customers start coming each day. 

   As always, we take cash or checks for payment, but NO credit cards or debit cards, and no phone "apps".  We don't use a smart phone, and have no phone line to the sales building.  So please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of fruit and/or pecans you want to buy.  Thanks.